Fire-extinguishing apparatus for oil tanks



May 8, 1923.

W. D. WITTER FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS FOR OIL TANKS Filed Jan 27,1922 2 Sheets-$heet 1 1N VENTO May 8, 1923.

- w. D. WITTER FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS FOR OIL TANKS Filed Jan. 27.1922' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Imus J7. I VITTEI? Z r 4 TTORNE VsPatentedMay 8, 1923. v

WILLIS D. WITTER, OF ROSELLE PARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO FOAMI IEFIRE- FOAM COMPANY, NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS FOR OIL TANKS.

Application filed January 27, 1922. Serial No. 532,239.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, \V LL s D. Vrrrrzn, a cltizen of the United States.and resident of Roselle Park in the county of ITnion and 5 btate of hewJersey, have invented certa n livery chambers in this manner.

new andhseful Improvements in Fire-1xtinguishing- Apparatus for OilTanks, which the following is a specification E This invention relatesto fire extinguishing apparatus foruse with oil tanks and mogeparticularly to a fire extinguishing apparatus in which chemicalcomponentsolutions are commixed to produce a tire extinguishing foamwhich is delivered to the burning surface of oil in the tank; and hasspccial reference to the provision of apparatus ofthis nature in which thefoam may he delivered in an efiieient" manner and in which the blowingof the tank top resulting from explosions willinot affect the identityor integrity of the foam-delivery apparatus.

' In prior installations of fire extinguishing apparatus'of the foamdeliv ery type used in connection with oil tanks, one or more foamdelivery means isor are mounted on the sides of the tank, the deliverymeans extending upwardly to 'a pointabove the normal oil level in thetank, the said delivery means having ing into the tank above. suchnormal oil level. In oneform of installation thede livery means, whichusually consists of a mixing chamber, is attached to the side of thetankandhas its mouthopening into the tank by wayof or through the tanktop. For the purpose of providing a gas, oil and water between the mixermouthand the tank top these parts: have necessarily been v firmlyattached together, forming practically a unitary construction. In theuse of this type of installation, however it has been repeatedly foundthat when an explosion occurs in the tank-this being generallypreliminary to the beginning of afire where lightning is the cause-theroof or tank top is-forced or blown off. violfii'tly and the mouth ofthe foam delivery'siy tstem attached thereto is usually'broken,disrupted and .put out of us with the: resulting failureof the fireextinguishing apparatus,

v this ob ection and weakness of this form of installation, foamdelivery mixing chambers have been provided in which the mouth of thedelivery-system opens into the side wall Maire-tank at its top above thenorits mouth entcr chamber "may to provide vseal between thcseparts.while at the same -lo-overcome-.time attaching chamber mal oil lfcveltherein. However, it has been found in numerous installations of thistype] that there are difliculties and objections in and to the arrangingof the mouth of the de- One ob Jcction, for example. resides in the factthat the normal oil level is never constant and the oil rising aboveapredetermined level will result in the oil leakinginto the mixingchambers. this leaking being very ob-Q jeetionablefl I urthermore, withthis type of installation when atire occurs the foam discharges throughthe mouth of the mixlaterally into the tank, the

.ing chamber from the mouth of foam column emerging the delivery systemflaring outwardly and losing'its mass formation, this foam column inbeing projected towards the center of the .tank where the up-draftof thetire is great,

est being further broken up by the up-draft, .w iththe result thatwhen-the roof blows, large quantities of the foam are carried away andout of'the tank by the draft.

\Vhere the foam mixers are mounted with their mouths inserted in the topor roof of the tank these disadvantages are not present,

oil leakage being eliminated; and the foam discharging downwardly in asolid column a-t-the sidewallsof the tanks where the natural draft ofthefire is downward, the foam column is.not disrupted and carried awayby't-he lire draft. such foamfcolumn in fact the n'iixing chamber isinserted through or opens up into the'tank roof or top, retaining theadvantages of this construction while at the same time. solving theproblem -of preventing the violent removal of the tank top-fromdisrupting or breaking the foam delivery system. I have found, moresmacilically, I p

be connected to the tank top the usual gas, oil and water-tight themouth of the mixing in such a manner as to permit the violent removahduring explosions, of the tank top without affecting the identity of themixing mouth, the latter remaining intact to perform the functions forwhich it .90 considerable experimentation, I that-it is feasibleto'retain the type of installation in which-the mouth of y that themouth of the. mixing a is designed and intended. The provision of anapparatus which these results may be accomplished is a prime desideratumof my present invention. 1 i The principal objects of my presentinvention may be said to include, besides the provision of a fireextinguishing apparatus for extinguishing fires in oil tanks having theadvantages and results hereinbefore recited, the further provision of anapparatus of this nature in which the mixing chamber of the foamdelivery system is mounted and attached to the side walls of the tankand in which the mouth of the delivery system enters by way of orthrough the tank top, a separable means being provided preferably in theform of a rupturable connecting means for attaching the mouth to thetank top, the said means effecting the desired seal between these partswhile permitting the nlovement, under unusual conditions, of the tankroof without the carrying away or disrupting of the mixer mouth attachedthereto and the further provision of an inst-allation of this nature inwhich the tank may be easily mixing chambers, the manner and means ofattching the two being effected with considerable convenience andeconomy.

To the aceomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and thei"'relatlon one to the other, as hereinafter particularly described andsought to be defined in the claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of. my invention,and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of an oil tank showing thenovel manner of installing the fire extinguishing apparatus,

Figure 2 is a view taken in' cross section on the line -22, Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same,

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary enlarged views taken on the lines 4-4and 5-5 respeotirely 59f Figure 3, and

Figures b*an('l 7 are views showing an installation of'a modified formof oil tank.

Referring to the figures, the tank or oil reservoir to which the fireextinguishing apparatus is attached may be of the construction in whichthere is provided the cylindrical shell 10 and the conical shaped roofor top 1.1 fastened thereto,.the peripheral flange 12 of the tank topbeing attached to the top angle 13 of thetank shell for this purpose.The fire extinguishing apparatus installed according to my invention maybe of the foam producing and delivery type in which there is providedone or more foam mixing chambers siich as -14 mounted alongside perportion thereof', the said mixing chamconditioned for the reception of-neck of the mixing the shell 10 and adjacent the upbe her beingintended for the reception of indecomponent solutions intermixing in thesaid chamber 14 for the production of a fire extinguishing foam, thebattle 17 bein preferably provided in the said chamber or limiting thezo'neof intermixture,'the intermixing solutions and the foam producedrising in the mixing chamber'for -delivery into the oil tank and onthe'burning surface of oil therein..-

The present invention,'as heretofore men-v tioned, relates tothe'installation of the type of mixing chamber in which the foam isdelivered into the tank by way of or through the tank top or roofthereof and to this end the mixingchamber'14 is preferably shaped atitsupper end to provide the inturned bend tank by way of or through thetank top 11, the tank top being suitably cut away or orificed for thispurpose. For securely supporting the mixing chambetank. there ispreferably provided the bottom bracket 19 bolted to theta-ilk shell 10as at 20, and the top strap 21 embracing the chamber and being attachedthereto by the spaced bolts 22, the said strap or yoke 21 firmlyattaching and supporting the mixer on the top angle 13 by means of thespaced bolts 23. F or the purpose of efl ecting a gas seal between theseparts I preferably provide an asbestos gasket 24 between the neck of thechamber 14 and the angle iron 13, The mixing chamber 14 may, if desired,be provided adjacent the mouth thereof with the handhole and closure 25.With the provision of this type of construction in which the mouth ofthe mixing chamber opens into the tank through the top thereof with themouth directed downwardly, leakage ofv oil into the mixing chamber iseliminated, this construction permitting the downward discharge orejection of the foam in a solid column in time of fire, the integrity ofthe column being maintained sinoe'the natural draftof the fire isdownward adjacent the walls'of the shell, the column not being brokenand the foam not being carried awayby the updraft of the fire, as is thecase when the mouths of mixing chambers open laterally into the tanks.

As heretofore recited, a principal object of the present inventioncomprehends the provision of an installation of this kind iii which anair, tween the mouth of the mixing chamberand the tank top ing soconstructed, however,

as to permit the removability of the tank top under 1111- having a mouth18 opening into the 14 on the. Y

gasrand water-tight seal beor roof is provided, such seal usual orabnormal conditions without atfecting the identity of the foam deliveryunit. the latter remaining intact for foam delivery purposes even thoughthe tank top is blown oil' and carried away by internal explosions,connnon in oil tires. To accomplish these ends my invention consists inconnecting the mixing chamber to the tank top by means which is easilyseparablevwhen the tank top is blown oil and, more spe ili cally, bymeans of a breakable or rupturable joint between these parts whichpermits of the desired seal and yet permitsot' the relative movabilityol the parts under abnormal conditions. tation I have found that it allashing joint is provided between'the mouth ot'the mixing-chamber andthe tank top with the [lashing joint being made of suitable light gaugesheet material. that the tank top may be ren'1oved under the impulse otexplosion without affecting the identity of the mixing chamber..-\ccor,dingly. my invention consists in the provision of atlasl1ii1g'joi11tmade of light gauge galvanized sheet 111atcrial such as26. thistlashing embracing three sides of the mouth of the mixingchamher. the said flashing being attached to the tank and mixer mouthrespectively.

tankto by means of the bolts 27, the said flashing bcmg inserted beneatha yoke or strap 2;; when the mix ng chamber installed. the yoke or strap28 forming means I )reterablv inter )()Stan asbestos asket So betweenthe 'tlashing 2t'1'and the tank top 11 and mixing chamlxn- It. The[lashing 26 may be'made all of one. piece. it being preferred. however.in the t'orm ot installation shown 111 Figures 1 to 5 ot' the drawings,to provide additional end flash pieces 31 andIiiZ bolted t the tank asby means of the securing means 33 inserted beneath the yoke or strap 21and the yoke or strap 38. Here, too. I prefer to interpose an asbestosgasket suehas H to provide the desired seal. this being clearlyshown in'Figures 2 and 5 ot-the drawi1 1gs. is an .example ol' the character otmaterial that I. prefer to use. for the flashing. I n1a mentiongalvanized sheet material of U.'S. 91. gauge #22.

Referring now to Figures (3 and T of the drawings in which I show themanner of installing the mixing chambers to the type of water top tanks.I show the tank shell 35 provided with the inset roof or top 36 havingatop water chamber il7.- The mixing chamber 1-1: provided with thesolution lines 15 and 16 opening in opposed relation into the mixingchamber and provided with the Alter considerable experimen-- Theflashing 26 is preferablv first bolted to na l usual battle l7',- issupported on the bracket 19' and connected to the top angle-13' by meansof the strap 21' 'with the interposed gasket 2st in a manner similar. tothe construction and attachment of the mixing ber'l-t' to the tank top36 I first preferably provide the hood 38 which preferablyis of the samematerial as the roof of the tank, the said hood being attached toitheroof.

as by having peripheral flanges 39 bolted thereto. The hood 38 which isnow essentiallyunitary with the tank top 36. is c0nnccted to the mouthof the mixing chamber it by means of the flashing 40, the latter beingpreferably bolted to thehood 38 by. the securing means 41 and attachedto the j mouth'ot the mixing chamber 14 by beinginserted beneath theyoke or. Strap42 at-j tachcd to the month by the spaced securingmeans 43Here. too. I preferably interpose between the [lashing and the v other.parts the gasket l-l.

'lhc manner of installing and using thev tire extinguishing apparatus onand with thei oil tanks with in the. main. be apparent, from tl abovedetailed description thereof.

It will he furthe' apparent that the mixing hambers or dehverymeans ofthe foam' extinguishing s stems-by means of my invention may be arrangedto open into the tank by way of or through the tank top,

retaining all the advantages incident to and inherent in-such aconstruction. while the prior t'atal objection to such installations inthat the foam deliverg system is put out of commission" and rendereduseless on the occurrence of an explosion is Successfully eliminated. i

While I have shown my device inthe preferred forms. itwill be obviousthat many changes and 'moditicationsmay be made in the structuredisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention. defined inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for extinguishing tires in oil tanks. a tireextinguishing means for delivering a tire extinguishing medium to andover the oil level in said tank. the said means including a mouthopening into the tank by way of or through the tank top and separablemeans connecting said month to the tank top for permitting violentremoval of the tank top without disrupting or re moving the said mouth.1

2. In apparatus for extinguishing tires 1n oil tanks. a tireextinguishing means for de-' livering a foam compound to and over theoil level .insaid' tank. the said means including a mixing chamberattached to the tank andhavinga mouth opening into the tank turablemeaitl connecting said mouth to the tank top forgtpermitting violentremoval of the tank top'without disrupting or removing the said mouth.

3. In apparatus for extinguishing fires in oil tanks, a tireextinguishing means for delivering afoam compound to and over theoillevel in said tank, the said means including a mixing chamber attachedto the side Walls of theftank having a mouth opening into the tanki byway of or through the tank top and means connecting said mouth to thetank top, the said means comprising a separable gas and Water-tight sealpermitting violent removal of the, tank top without disrupting orremoving the said mouth. 4. In apparatus for extinguishing fires in oiltanks, a fire extinguishing means for delivering a fire extinguishingmedium to and vover the oil level in said tank, the said meanscomprising a mixing chamber attached at its lower end to} the side wallof the tank and at its upper end to the top angle of the tank,

the saidmixing chamber being provided means permitting violent removalof the tank top as during an exploslon without d1srupting or removingthe said mouth, the lati ter remaining intact for foam deliverypurposes.

5. In apparatus for extinguishing fires in oil tanks..fire extinguishingmeans for delivering a fire extinguishing medium to and over the oillevel in said tank, the said means including a mixing chamber situatedat the side of said tank and bent or inturned at its upper endto'provide a mouth opening into the tank by way of or through the top orroot thereof, a strap or yoke member attached to the upper end of themixing chain her and connecting the same to the top angle of the tankand means connecting the mouth of the mixing chamber to the tank top,the said means comprising a breakable or rupturable flashing joint ofrelativelv thin gauge attached respectively to the tank 'top and thewalls of the mouth; the eonstruction being such that the tank top may beviolently removed as during an explosion Without disrupting or removingthe said mouth of the mixing chamber.

Signed at New York city in the c .unty of New York and State of New Yorkthis 25th day of January, A. D; 1922.

WILLIS D. W ITTER.

